Along The Way
by Anniely
Summary: 'I just couldn't remember ... but shouldn't I know' A little Oneshot about how much details sometimes matter. StellaMac


_A/N: I recently found this on my PC. I had completely forgotten about this, but I still decided to finish it. It's my first try at a CSI: NY Oneshot and I do not know if my way of writing the characters is 'right'. I'd appreciate your feedback and I still don't have a beta, so please hold the stones._

_Nothing of this belongs to me (If it did, Shane Casey would still be rotting in a cell.)._

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**Along The Way**

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_Somewhere along the way you decided that I was worth saving._

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Stella stood next to the white truck, while around her people bustled about. Most of them wore vests, police badges flashing, and black, shiny guns. The lights of the police cars painted red and blue lights onto the wet street.

But Stella saw none of this, instead that single moment from only a few hours ago kept flashing through her mind in some mean circle.

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_She stepped out of the elevator, taking in the normal craziness of the lab, that was filled with chatter and hard working techs even at this time of day - or morning; some wouldn't consider half past four to be day yet.  
__Even though she had slept just a little over four hours, Stella felt good. She didn't really know why. She had gotten up, drank her usual cup of coffee and then came straight to the lab. But Stella felt as if she was ready to take on everything that day could possibly throw at her._

_As she passed Mac's office, she saw that the boss was already working, sitting behind his desk, surrounded by file folders. __Maybe Mac had seen her coming or maybe some instinct, formed over the long years of their friendship, had tipped him off, but he looked up as she passed his office. He sent her a small, almost shy grin and was rewarded with a big smile. Stella waved to him as she passed around the corner._

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She was jerked out of her reverie, as somebody tapped her on the shoulder. Stella's head jerked up and she found herself face to face with Detective Don Flack. Flack was also wearing a vest, with this badge at the reveres.

'Stella, are you alright?' he asked, worry evident in his voice. His hand was still on her shoulder.

'Yeah, sure, Flack. It's alright.' Even in her own ears this sounded like an outright lie.

'He'll be OK, Stella,' Flack said. 'He's been through worse.'

Stella shook her head, her curls dancing around her face.

'I know he's been through worse. I know he's been in these kinds of situations loads of times; we both have. I just can't … One of the snipers that arrived later asked me if I knew what Mac was wearing and I just couldn't remember. I only saw him very briefly this morning, but shouldn't I know? He is my partner. I didn't even talk to him before he was called out and … I didn't say good morning. I couldn't even say goodbye, Don,' Stella ended. Her voice was thick with emotions, but, cop as she was, she tried very hard to keep them at bay and show that she could cope with the whole situation in a professional way.

'You didn't need to say goodbye, Stel. He'll be OK,' Flack repeated and then drew Stella into a short, but comforting hug.

Her head against the detective's shoulder she nodded. And although her heart was more than willing to believe these reassuring words, her head was joggling around with _What if_s.

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Mac stood inside the bank and wondered why he always took the job of the negotiator, knowing that he was likely to end up as a hostage himself.

And of course that was what had happened.

The robbery was poorly planned and carried out even more poorly. It seemed to Mac that in times of one financial crisis following the next people tended to get rather thick-headed when it came to money.

And this bank robbery was proof of that. Only two men, wearing dark shades and black hoodies, had entered the bank at 12:12 pm. Both were armed with revolvers, a weapon easy enough to get on the streets of New York. But the way these guys handled their weapons showed Mac that they had never before actually held a gun.

However, that was not surprising. Their voices sounded young. Mac estimated their age to somewhere around twenty-five; and that was definitely too young to rob a bank. They had tried so anyways and were failing miserably.  
As they had stepped into the relatively empty bank - only three customers and three bank clerks were there at that time - one of the two had fired a warning shoot into the room. The bullet had ricocheted off a pillar and hit a female clerk in the tight. Panicking, the men had closed the door and forced the remaining people to lie down on the floor.

But the shots had been heard and the NYPD had been called. And because Mac had been on duty that morning he had ended up being the negotiator. After just two minutes into negotiating they had come out with the truth and told him about the injured woman. They were only too happy with Mac's suggestion of him switching places with her. They were barely more than kids; admittedly, kids with guns, but kids nonetheless.

And now Mac was trapped inside a bank with two nerve-wracked college students with revolvers who had gotten themselves into a dead end.

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As Mac stepped out of the bank, leading one handcuffed man and being followed by a SWAT member leading another handcuffed man, Stella almost ran straight towards him. But she kept herself in check and waited impatiently for him to push the kid into one of the waiting police cars and close the door as soon as he was inside.

Then he looked around and as his eyes found Stella's, he grinned. She grinned back. Both started walking towards each other at the same time and finally they stood almost toe to toe amidst the bustling activity of the cops.

Stella looked her partner up and down.

'Light blue shirt, missing the jacket,' she said and Mac looked at her curiously. 'I should have known.'

Then she pulled him into a hug and Mac's arms wrapped around his friend's waist willingly.

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_There is some good in this world and it is worth fighting for.  
__(J.R.R. Tolkien)_

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_A/N2: The first quote was taken from 'The Vampire Diaries'._


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